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experiences almost unbelievable with snowstorms, boxed canyons, thick cedar and pine forests, and food shortage. Their experience almost made the journey of the good Chtholic Escalante, look like a picnic party." " Just before reaching the camp of the few men left of the party who went out in the spring, the four scouts met two miners who were making a start to hunt for the lost Pashelkine mine, reported by Navajos and others as being very rich in silver. The mine had been worked by Navajos hut had been lost, as the few Indians who worked it were killed off by the soldiers when they were being- rounded u p several years before to be taken to Santa Fe. These prospertors tried to persuade the Mormon scouts to go out with them, promising that they would lay over for them and would let them in on the big mine, which they said was a 'sure' thing. Had the Latter-day Saints scouts fallen for this wild proposition, it might easily have resulted in failure for the San Juan Mission, at least at that early date. The two miners, Merick and Mitchel, were killed by the renegade Paiutes and Navajos as they were returning with their pack animals loaded with ore supposed to be from the lost mine. T h e Mormon men would most likely have met the same fate and the company could not have got the news of what became of them for a month or two. r\ great portion of the camp were discouraged because of the rough country and other difficulties and such an event would have been enough to finish thc whole undertaking." "When the four explorers returned, they reported that it wsould be possible to make a road through to the San Juan, as hy far the roughest and most difficult country was at or near the Hole-in-the-Rock or within a few miles of the Colorado River where the work was heinx pushed as fast as possible with tools that were in the camp."" The first and most difficult obstacle was at the very top of the hole. By climbing about fifty feet u p an incline of approximately 25' along the edge of the narrow slit, the men found themselves at the brink of a sheer drop of forty-five feet. I t was now necessary to rut sway that huge block of solid sandstone in order to approach the lower portion of the notch whirh the leaders considered feasible for a road. From the base of that forty-five foot drop the crevice broadened somewhat, being wide enough for wagons in most places. But it was exceedingly steep, with a grade of approximately 45 degrees, full of its and strewn with huge boulders. This condition continued for approximately a quarter of a mile, or about one-third of the distance to the river. From that point the notch fans out still more into a sort of canyon.' "A long and interesting story could be written about the travels and w0rking.s of this large, well-organized, good natured, jolly camp, but for
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experiences almost unbelievable with snowstorms, boxed canyons, thick cedar and pine forests, and food shortage. Their experience almost made the journey of the good Chtholic Escalante, look like a picnic party." " Just before reaching the camp of the few men left of the party who went out in the spring, the four scouts met two miners who were making a start to hunt for the lost Pashelkine mine, reported by Navajos and others as being very rich in silver. The mine had been worked by Navajos hut had been lost, as the few Indians who worked it were killed off by the soldiers when they were being- rounded u p several years before to be taken to Santa Fe. These prospertors tried to persuade the Mormon scouts to go out with them, promising that they would lay over for them and would let them in on the big mine, which they said was a 'sure' thing. Had the Latter-day Saints scouts fallen for this wild proposition, it might easily have resulted in failure for the San Juan Mission, at least at that early date. The two miners, Merick and Mitchel, were killed by the renegade Paiutes and Navajos as they were returning with their pack animals loaded with ore supposed to be from the lost mine. T h e Mormon men would most likely have met the same fate and the company could not have got the news of what became of them for a month or two. r\ great portion of the camp were discouraged because of the rough country and other difficulties and such an event would have been enough to finish thc whole undertaking." "When the four explorers returned, they reported that it wsould be possible to make a road through to the San Juan, as hy far the roughest and most difficult country was at or near the Hole-in-the-Rock or within a few miles of the Colorado River where the work was heinx pushed as fast as possible with tools that were in the camp."" The first and most difficult obstacle was at the very top of the hole. By climbing about fifty feet u p an incline of approximately 25' along the edge of the narrow slit, the men found themselves at the brink of a sheer drop of forty-five feet. I t was now necessary to rut sway that huge block of solid sandstone in order to approach the lower portion of the notch whirh the leaders considered feasible for a road. From the base of that forty-five foot drop the crevice broadened somewhat, being wide enough for wagons in most places. But it was exceedingly steep, with a grade of approximately 45 degrees, full of its and strewn with huge boulders. This condition continued for approximately a quarter of a mile, or about one-third of the distance to the river. From that point the notch fans out still more into a sort of canyon.' "A long and interesting story could be written about the travels and w0rking.s of this large, well-organized, good natured, jolly camp, but for
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